Agra, Varanasi, and Beyond

Hello all! Sorry it has been so long. The past few days have been a whirlwind and we have had limited internet connection.
Our train finally arrive in Dehli, 6 hours later, and took us to Agra. Sierra pronounces it a-gra (short 'a' sound, followed by gra), and I say ag-ra (ag followed by the ra). We both think we are right. Anywho, we made it to the city of the Taj Mahal. This place is for sure a tourist area. All over people are trying to screw you out of money. Even our hotel tried. It can be very taxing! We just wanted to go to sleep in a nice air conditioned room when we arrived at 11, but no we had to go through 3 rooms on several different floors, wait for the manager, haggle, wait some more, and finally, several hours later were aloud to sleep in a semi-air-conditioned room. Oh we moved out of that room into a room with sweet crushed red velvet curtains. Baller!
We spent Friday wandering through the area. We saw tons of monkeys and took photos of the local kids. Agra is hotter and dryer then Dehli and we sweated our asses off. I must say I hate when beads of sweat trickle down my legs. It makes me feel like bugs are crawling all over me.
So, I really want to upload photos right now, but I can not seem to find them on Nick M. computer. I will ask him and do it later.
Anywho, we went to the Taj Mahal at 5:30 on Saturday. We figured we would wake up very early, see it, have breakfast, and make our train to Gwalior. The Taj is beautiful. A tuk tuk took us to the entrance and we walk 1-2 km into where you pay. It is in a very secluded area. The grounds surrounding are all green, which is remarkable considering everywhere else is brown and dead. You might be interested to know that the area surrounding our hotel, the community of living area, is infested with trash. The sewer literally runs along the side of the road. At times you will see stray dogs sitting in it to cool off. There are areas, in the middle of where people live, completely filled with trash. I tell you this because the area surrounding the Taj is pristine.
The Taj was magnificent. Though I must say the pictures you see on TV and in book of it are for sure enhances. The sky is no where near that blue.
We made it to the station to find out our train was delayed an hour. Dehli time. Made it to Gwalior where we went to an ACed hotel and hung out for 6 hours before our next train to Varanasi.
Varanasi is one of the Holy cities visited on Hindu pilgrimage. They have 165 Ghats, or places where people bathe in the Ganga River. They also have something similar to a crematorium called the Burning Ghat. When people die they are taken here. A ceremony is preformed and the people in burned for 3 hours. The remaining parts of the body are then placed in the Ganga. The guide book said over 45,000 people, or parts of, are placed in the Ganga each year.
The burning Ghats are a site. I thought they would smell awful, but really there was no unpleasant odor. We met a kid, who later scammed us a little, who told us all about the ritual. The dead person is first washed with 5 different types of oils, spices, and butter, they are wrapped in silk or cotton, dipped in the Ganga for one last bath. The family then has one last drink from the Ganga to remember the body. They are then brought up to the place they will be burned. They walk around the body five times and get the fire of Shiva. The fire of Shiva has been burning consistently for 3,000 years. They get the fire with grass and light the Mango wood. Oh there is a little sandal wood. The body burns for 3 hours. After, the youngest son or oldest son or husband shaves their head leaving a small tuft in the back and dress in all white to symbolize mourning. The rest of these details are a bit fuzzy on when they happen, but you'll get the idea. At some point the family bathes in the Ganga. They then return home, wait 10-days, more heads are shaves, and something like a funeral with lots of food happens. We were told many times that weddings and funerals were the two most important events and the most expensive ones too.
The whole process is beautiful. Did I mention that women are not aloud to participate in this. They can be burned, but don't participate in the ceremony. There are 6-types of people who are not burned; people bitten by cobras, pregnant women, people with disease, children under 10, Holy Men Sadu and animals. These people are wrapped in banana leaves, tied to a rock, and dropped into the Ganga. Ya, we saw some dead bodies.
The whole this is wonderful. The culture and rituals are sooooooo deep.
In the early morning we took a boat ride up the Ganga to see all the Ghats and watch the people bathe. It was refreshing and so peaceful. I think it is interesting to be watching such an intimate part of someones day. The Hindu's believe the Ganga to be holy and consider its waters purifying and almost lucky. People pilgrim from all over the world to bathe here. At night we went on another ride to see the evening ceremony that is preformed every night.
Old city is the part of the city right on the river. You can not take a car here. Instead they drop you off on the outside and you follow a series of small roads through. We met a kid here who showed us all around these alley ways.
Varanasi was awesome and by far our favorite place so far. We are not in Kolkata enjoying the Paraguay/Japan futbol game that Paraguay just won. Tomorrow we will be learning what we will be doing for the next month. So exciting.
Oh...it's monsooning!
YAY

P.S. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes!